Michelob Ultra puts Peyton Manning in 'Caddyshack' to tee up live golf match

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Dive Brief:

Michelob Ultra is running ads, a sweepstakes and digital content to support Capital One's The Match: Champions for Charity golf event on Sunday, according to a press release. The first televised golf event since the pandemic hit​ will see icons Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson as well as NFL greats Peyton Manning and Tom Brady competing.

The AB InBev brand has three new ads around the tournament featuring a man washing off his beer golf cart and welcoming people back. Consumers can enter to win the cart and other prizes by following @MichelobULTRA on Twitter and using hashtags #ULTRAPrizeScramble and #Sweepstakes during the game. If any of the players hits a hole-in-one, the brand will give away free six-packs, with details on how to redeem available online.

The effort also includes new digital content that uses deep fake technology to put Peyton Manning's face into scenes from the iconic film "Caddyshack." Michelob Ultra will share the content on its social media channels leading up to the match.

Dive Insight:

Michelob Ultra's campaign for The Match: Champions for Charity tournament is an early example of the next stage to sports marketing now that some restrictions around in-person activities have started to lift. This follows a period of shutdowns caused by the coronavirus pandemic that saw most live sporting events canceled and brands that typically focus on sports sponsorships pulling back on their activities while searching for new ways to engage audiences.

The AB InBev brand is betting that consumer interest will be high in Capital One's charity tournament, which will air on May 24, at 3 p.m. ET across TNT, TBS, truTV and HLN. To capture the likely pent-up demand for such events by sports fans, the brand has pulled out all the stops with a multichannel marketing effort that includes TV, social media and sweepstakes activations. The focus on social media and original content that's designed to be shared online underscores the enduring interest in digital content from brands.

The TV spot gives a positive message of welcoming consumers back after the shutdowns while encouraging engagement and building Michelob Ultra's social following. To enter to win the golf beer cart, fans must follow the brand on Twitter and tweet. To view the Peyton Manning "Caddyshack" content, viewers can check out the brand's social channels. ​

As one of the first sporting events to be broadcast live since the coronavirus shutdowns, the golfing event is attracting the attention of a number of brands. Turner Sports has already sold out the sponsorship partnerships and opportunities to sponsors that include Audi of America, Progressive, Cisco, DraftKings, Callaway, E-Z-Go, Wheels Up, AT&T and HBO Max.

Turner and the golfers will donate $10 million to COVID-19 relief charities via in-game challenges. Michelob is donating $150,000 and will also host a special on-course challenge for players.